Every year, millions of Americans struggle with sudden tooth loss due to facial trauma, car accidents, and dental disease. Fortunately, by taking swift action and working with your dentist, you may be able to help your tooth to survive. Here are a few things you should remember to do after losing a tooth and how your dentist can help.

Lost Tooth? What to Do Next

Which Steps Should You Take First?

Your first step after losing a tooth should be to find the tooth and locate any tooth pieces that may have broken off from the main tooth body. If you have to pick up the tooth, handle the tooth by the crown instead of the root, so you don’t damage any delicate blood vessels.

If possible, store the tooth in a tooth preservation kit, which contains special fluids designed to keep blood vessels from closing off. If you don’t have one of these kits handy, put the tooth in your mouth between your lower lip and the front of your lower teeth to keep it in its natural environment.

How Can A Dentist Help?

Teeth have a higher chance of being reattached successfully the sooner you visit a dentist, so don’t waste any time getting to the office. In fact, a tooth’s viability drops about 1% each minute it is out of the socket, which means waiting an hour could mean you only have a 40% chance of having the tooth survive.

After you arrive at the office, the dentist will clean the tooth and reinsert it in its socket. Depending on the nature of the break, your dentist may also splint the tooth to add additional stability.

Although it can be scary to lose a tooth, working with the team at Larry G. Hubbard, DDS in Statesboro, GA, is nothing to worry about. With a commitment to providing a safe, clean, comfortable office for his patients, Dr. Hubbard offers everything from emergency dental restorations to ongoing treatment for periodontal disease. If you want to make dentist appointments for your family, give them a call at (912) 764-9891 or visit them online.